In today's fast moving and complex world, most non-trivial projects require the varied expertise and simultaneous efforts from multiple individual people. Often, small teams are involved; many are limited to a dozen, or fewer people. (Evidence: The vast majority of corporate conference room tables seat fewer than 12 people). Collectively, these teams determine the fates of billion-dollar-programs, as well as the fates of many corporations, themselves.
Yet, it is common knowledge, among experienced meeting attendees, that groups and teams face a variety of potential communication breakdowns. Some examples are, ‘incomplete sharing of critical facts’, ‘important clarification that goes unsought’ and ‘questionable logic that goes unchallenged’. Clearly, sincere and complete discussion is needed to avoid such breakdowns. Very often, sincere and complete discussion can be initiated as follows: Ask a tough question, allow the attendees to answer it anonymously, and display the vote tally (but not any individual votes). Often, group members will anonymously flag a problem that they would not flag without anonymity. Yet, when they see that others in the group share their same concern, open (sincere and complete) discussion follows. In summary, a typical sequence is, “ask tough question #1, display the anonymous tally, engage in ‘somewhat open’ discussion, ask tough question #2, display the anonymous tally, engage in even more open discussion”. This anonymous-polling-sequence can be used numerous times in a single meeting. However, it must be fast, convenient, easy to learn, and easy to use.
An unmet need exists for truly practical conference-table-based polling systems. This is evidenced by today's lack of any kind of instant polling capability in millions of corporate conference rooms, where numerous important face-to-face meetings take place, daily. This is further evidenced by the complete global absence of any truly practical conference-table-mounted polling capability.
While ‘audience response systems’ do exist, they are neither designed, nor optimized, for small conference rooms (e.g. for 12 or fewer people). They are designed for use with large crowds (e.g. hundreds or thousands of people). These systems are either wired or wireless.
It might be tempting to assume that wireless systems are always superior. However, for use around a small conference room table, these wireless systems are inherently inferior. They have numerous drawbacks, such as, a serious loss of anonymity (due to the need to see one's own keypad), unnecessarily high costs, time consuming setup and put-away (for every session), extensive training needed for the main operator, 12 or more batteries to go dead, unreliable operation due to radio frequency interference (or infrared occlusions), slow tally and display operation, complexity for users, frequent loss of remote units (that become misplaced, inadvertently left at home, dropped or stolen).
Likewise, the existing wired ‘audience response systems’ are designed for use with large crowds (e.g. hundreds or thousands of people). As such, they are not intended for practical, permanent installation in the numerous conference rooms for 12 or fewer people. They comprise unsightly tangles of cables, connectors and large, awkward enclosures that can not be properly mounted to the conference table without seriously destroying the normal utility of the table top surface or without infringing on legroom and comfort underneath the table. Again, they too suffer a serious loss of anonymity (due to the need to see one's own keypad), unnecessarily high installation costs (if permanent installation is attempted), and time consuming setup and put-away (for every session if not a truly permanent installation).
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in prior attempts to meet the unmet need.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved conference-table-based information system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved conference-table-based information system that provides truly anonymous polling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved conference-table-based information system with an easy and cost-effective method for permanent or temporary installation (easy enough to be organized as a ‘do-it-yourself kit’).
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved conference-table-based information system with ‘instant-on’ access (virtually no setup/put-away time required), virtually no obstructions placed on the table top surface, ample legroom, no sharp edges to contact knees, pants or skirts and minimal training required to use basic polling functionality.